Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Estimation of dry matter intake by n-alkanes in dairy cows fed TMR: effect of dosing technique and faecal collection time

P. Bani A C , F. Piccioli Cappelli A , A. Minuti A , V. Ficuciello A , V. Lopreiato A , P. C. Garnsworthy B and E. Trevisi A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Istituto di Zootecnica, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122 Piacenza, Italy.

B The University of Nottingham, School of Biosciences, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, LE12 5RD, UK.

C Corresponding author. Email: paolo.bani@unicatt.it

Animal Production Science 54(10) 1747-1751 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN14342
Submitted: 13 May 2014  Accepted: 26 June 2014   Published: 19 August 2014

Abstract

Estimation of individual intakes in dairy cows would be beneficial to select animals according to efficiency of milk production. The n-alkanes technique has been used to estimate intake by dairy cows in free stall barns, limiting faecal samples to one or two per day, but diurnal variation in the ratio of dosed to natural alkanes in faeces represents a source of error. We aimed to adapt this technique to estimate feed intake on a large number of lactating dairy cows housed on commercial dairy farms. Using a change-over design, six lactating cows fed a TMR diet were given a dose of 0.5 g/day of C32 n-alkane administered once a day as a drench (DRE) or top fed (TP). Feed offered and refused were weighed daily. After the lead-in phases, faeces were collected at 0700 hours, 1400 hours and 1900 hours on the last 5 days of each dosing period. Dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated from C31, C33 and C32 concentrations in feeds and in faeces for each dosing system and sampling time. DMI estimated from C31 : C32 ratio was better correlated with measured individual DMI than estimates from C33 : C32 ratio. For DRE, the best correlation was for sampling at 1400 hours (R2 = 0.96, P < 0.001), but estimated DMI for the 1400 hours sampling was much higher than the actual DMI. For TP, the best correlation was for sampling at 0700 hours (R2 = 0.83, P < 0.001). Feeding C32 n-alkane and collecting faeces once a day at the same time (0700 hours) represents a valuable protocol to measure individual intake on a large number of animals.

Additional keywords: dairy cows, diurnal variation, feed intake, marker dosing technique, n-alkanes, sampling technique.


References

AOAC (2005) ‘Official methods of analysis of AOAC International.’ 18th edn.

Brosh A, Henkin Z, Rothman SJ, Aharoni Y, Orlov A, Arieli A (2003) Effects of faecal n-alkane recovery in estimates of diet composition. The Journal of Agricultural Science 140, 93–100.
Effects of faecal n-alkane recovery in estimates of diet composition.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXjtl2ksLc%3D&md5=29ad604fcdbf5f985c1df620a654ff20CAS |

Dove H, Mayes RW (1996) Plant wax components: a new approach to estimating intake and diet composition in herbivores. The Journal of Nutrition 126, 13–26.

Elwert C, Dove H, Rodehutscord M (2008) Faecal alkane recoveries from multi-component diets and effects on estimates of diet composition in sheep. Animal 2, 125–134.
Faecal alkane recoveries from multi-component diets and effects on estimates of diet composition in sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1MXhvVKnt7c%3D&md5=251a7f425eb1bc33b3e48ce5fcc9a29cCAS | 22444971PubMed |

Mayes RW, Lamb CS, Colgrove PM (1986) The use of dosed and herbage n-alkanes as markers for the determination of herbage intake. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 107, 161–170.
The use of dosed and herbage n-alkanes as markers for the determination of herbage intake.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL28XlsFajs7k%3D&md5=c91d0867419111543357044dcf49402aCAS |

Mayes RW, Dove H, Chen XB, Guada JA (1995) Advances in the use of faecal and urinary markers for measuring diet composition, herbage intake and nutrient utilisation in herbivores. In ‘Proceedings of the IVth international symposium on the nutrition of herbivores: recent developments in the nutrition of herbivores’. (Eds M Journet, E Grenet, MH Farce, M Theriez, C Demarquilly) pp. 381–406. (INRA Editions; Paris)

Molina D, Matamoros I, Pell A (2004) Accuracy of estimates of herbage intake of lactating cows using alkanes: comparison of two types of capsules. Animal Feed Science and Technology 114, 241–260.
Accuracy of estimates of herbage intake of lactating cows using alkanes: comparison of two types of capsules.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXjtFamsrg%3D&md5=f033d5c3f3e67f5e1a354c411f5e4210CAS |

Moshtaghi Nia SA, Wittenberg KM (2002) Evaluation of n-alkanes as markers for estimation of dry matter intake and digestibility in steers consuming all-forage or concentrate-forage diets. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 82, 419–425.
Evaluation of n-alkanes as markers for estimation of dry matter intake and digestibility in steers consuming all-forage or concentrate-forage diets.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD38Xpt1ejurw%3D&md5=2f873dd8bb5c2fe429adc22ea60f55bbCAS |

Oliván M, Ferreira LMM, Celaya R, Osoro K (2007) Accuracy of the n-alkane technique for intake estimates in beef cattle using different sampling procedures and feeding levels. Livestock Science 106, 28–40.
Accuracy of the n-alkane technique for intake estimates in beef cattle using different sampling procedures and feeding levels.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Sibbald AM, Davidson GC, Mayes RW (2000) Effect of dosing regime on intake estimation using the n-alkane technique in sheep fed pelleted grass meal. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 80, 1206–1210.
Effect of dosing regime on intake estimation using the n-alkane technique in sheep fed pelleted grass meal.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXktFSqs7o%3D&md5=5bcf3cb3fe0210888a52c3f2e8289dafCAS |

Unal Y, Garnsworthy PC (1999) Estimation of intake and digestibility of forage-based diets in group-fed dairy cows using alkanes as markers. The Journal of Agricultural Science 133, 419–425.
Estimation of intake and digestibility of forage-based diets in group-fed dairy cows using alkanes as markers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXisFertbw%3D&md5=414c84c522ccb8c0218d43ff624fb10eCAS |

van den Pol-Van Dasselaar A, Valk H, de Visser M (2006) Recovery of n-alkanes in manure of dairy cows fed fresh grass supplemented with corn silage. In ‘Sustainable grassland productivity: proceedings of the 21st general meeting of the European Grassland Federation’. (Eds J Lloveras, A González-Rodríguez, O Vázquez-Yañez, J Piñeiro, O Santamaría, L Olea, MJ Poblaciones) pp. 451–453. (Badajoz, Spain)

Vulich SA, Hanrahan JP, Crowley BA (1995) Modification of the analytical procedures for the determination of herbage and faecal n-alkanes used in the estimation of herbage intake. The Journal of Agricultural Science 124, 71–77.
Modification of the analytical procedures for the determination of herbage and faecal n-alkanes used in the estimation of herbage intake.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXktlyrtro%3D&md5=ee635bee81b4ce5685662f435e0b6afaCAS |